P90X2 isn’t necessarily harder than P90X, but it does adhere to the most modern thinking in sports medicine. Based upon feedback received from P90X over the 7’ish years running, Beachbody’s team of sports experts has taken this program to an entirely new level and have introduced the latest techniques to once again keep you from hitting that plateau. You can also read my, “Am I Ready for P90X2?” post.

Muscle Confusion, aka the periodized training schedule of P90X, was the cornerstone of that breakthrough program. It taught you about adaptation, mastery, recovery, and how to train in phases with transitions in between. For P90X2, these principles continue, but allow for more individuality. It is designed to let you get the most out of it based upon YOUR agenda. Each training phase and recovery period is designed so it can be tailored to your specific training needs.

The P90X2 schedule is a little different from what you’ve seen in P90X. We still have 3 ‘phases’, however each phase is not an exact 30 days, 4 weeks or 1 month. Each P90X2 phase requires mastery for you to move on to the next one. If aren’t quite ready to hit phase 2, then don’t. Continue building strength, flexibility, core balance. One of the biggest changes you’ll notice is that P90X2 now has a 5 day workout schedule, with Day 3 also being a recovery day.

P90X2 Phase 1 Schedule

The first training phase focuses on your foundation, or more specifically on your attachment to the ground. This refers not just to your legs but to your entire kinetic chain… meaning your muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems. If your base isn’t solid, the rest of you certainly won’t be when you attempt to do anything explosive. The goal of Phase 1 is to help you create a solid attachment to the earth so you can do all other movements without compromising your form.

Duration – 3 to 6 weeks

Day 1: X2 Core – Human functionality occurs in the shape of an X across the body from one arm down through the core to the foot, and the same on the other side. A big criss-cross, all driven by the power and synergy generated from the core. In P90X2, it’s almost as if the X now stands for that aspect of human kinesiology. The core is our body’s foundation; the point where all movement begins. By working our core using instability, we force our bodies to fire both their prime mover and stabilizer muscles in harmony… ahhh.

Day 2: Plyocide – Called… Death by Plyometrics? Plyocide combines traditional explosive movements with mind and coordination drills to increase not only your speed and endurance, but your entire mind/body connection.

Day 3: Rest or X2 Recovery + Mobility – Enhanced recovery by forcing your body to realign to promote better overall functionality. The key is a myofascial release technique called foam rolling (aka… RumbleRoller). Expect to get a whole new understanding of the phrase, “hurts soooo good”. I’ve done this disc 3 times now and each time it hurts a little less, but I keep finding those knots and this workout releases them.

Day 4: X2 Total Body & X2 Ab Ripper – Combines resistance and instability to ensure that your body uses the correct muscles in the given moment. Old-school isolation movements that can lead to muscular imbalance are not welcome in this workout. Form is king.

Day 5: X2 Yoga – Relax the mind and body, this one is tough. Increase your isometric power, range of motion, and build vital stabilizer muscle strength. This one is 66 minutes vs. the 93 minutes for Yoga X. Most of the same poses but done in sequences. Very cool and very tough, a tremendous workout.

Day 6: X2 Balance + Power – Picks up where X2 Core ends, and you’ll learn to transmit your core engagement to other parts of the body. The moves in this workout force core rigidity under duress by incorporating strength and explosive movements. All of this leads to better body alignment, nagging aches and pains will lessen, and you’ll be able to push far beyond the limits you once thought you had.

Day 7: Rest or X2 Recovery + Mobility

P90X2 Phase 2 Schedule

Take your now strong foundation and strengthen everything above it even more. This training phase will be most familiar to P90Xers because it’s similar in structure to the original program. These are the individual workouts that have evolved since P90X was introduced, but now they’re working from unstable, or athletic, positions. This will promote strength gains that can be more seamlessly integrated into real-world movements resulting in enhanced performance.

Duration – 3 to 6 weeks

Day 1: Chest + Back + Balance & X2 Ab Ripper – Very similar to P90X Chest and Back, but this time all the exercises are done from unstable platforms designed to make your body earn it’s muscle. As you improve at this workout, your strength gains will be superior to those made with any traditional weight-training workout.

Day 2: Plyocide

Day 3: Rest or X2 Recovery + Mobility

Day 4: X2 Shoulders + Arms & X2 Ab Ripper – Shoulder instability can lead to an assortment of injuries (I know…). By keeping our shoulders and arms strong and in balance, we can avoid breakdowns.

Day 5: X2 Yoga

Day 6: Base + Back & X2 Ab Ripper – Working the body’s two largest groups of muscles in one workout may seem sadistic, but I find this pull-up and plyo extravaganza very entertaining.

This is the ‘money’ phase where we take all the changes we’ve been making in your body and focus them on pure performance. 3 letters… P.A.P. (Post Activation Potentiation). These workouts will destroy you, but after a few weeks of P.A.P. you’ll feel more springy and loose. This truly is professional athlete style training.

Duration – 3 to 4 weeks

Day 1: P.A.P. Lower – Using cutting edge techniques you now translate your newfound strength into performance. Two four-round complexes of seemingly straight-forward movements don’t look like much on paper, but these workouts have destroyed the fittest athletes on the planet.

Day 2: P.A.P. Upper – This time taking Post Activation Potentiation to the upper body. Over time you’ll feel springy, loose, and a heck of a lot younger!

Day 3: X2 Yoga

Day 4: Rest or X2 Recovery + Mobility

Day 5: P.A.P. Lower

Day 6: P.A.P. Upper

Day 7: Rest or X2 Recovery + Mobility

P90X2 Recovery Week Schedule

Recovery week can be inserted anywhere in the schedule when your body tells you to take a break. That’s the nice thing about P90X2, you can tweak it to fit how you are doing and how you are feeling.

P90X2 Contents (Ultimate Package)

My Beachbody National Super Saturday Success Story

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About travelingworkout

Living the dream as a Team Beachbody Coach. Every day I get the opportunity to help people from all over the world get in the best shape of their lives. It's all about living a healthy and fit lifestyle!
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